Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698946763863.pdf (Uganda)
Rcpublic of Uganrla MINISI'RY OF TOURISM, WII,DLIFE AND ANI.IQUI,TIES MINISTEITIAL STATEM}]NT IN RFJSPONSE TO A MAT*TE,R oF CONTINI.JED HARASSMENT, EVICTIONS AND ARRESTS OF SOMN PEOPLI] IN KIHIHI BY UGANDA WILDLIFE AIJT}IOIIITY.

Background At Lhe 2l'r Sitting.l'thc 3'd Mer:ting ol thc 3d scssion.l.thc 10,r,[rarUament ol.

t.lganda.

held on 'r'hurstrav 2g'r' I,ehruar), 2019, rIon.

r:lizabeth Karungi (woman MP.

Kanungu I)istrict) raiscd conccm ovcr thc continuccl harassmenL.
evictions and arrcsr o['somc peoplc in Kihihi by Llgancla wildlirc Authoritv.

'fhe Rt.

IIon.

Spcaker dircctcd Irrc to prcpare a statcment antl rcport back to I'arliamenl on 'l'ucsday 5,h March 20l9..l,his Starcnrcnl has thus been preparcd to repon to l)arliamcnt as dirccted.

Rcport to l)a rlia mcnt Itt.

Hon.

Spcaker and llon.

Menrbers.


thcrc is a contention on thc boundary of Queen Elizabcth NaLirnar park arong the strctch that la s rvithin somc three villages ol'Karne'mc, Kinyabutongo ancl ltushoroza in Kibinrbiri l,alish.

Kihihi Sub count' Kanungu I)is1rict.

'r-his scction o'thc boundary is clcscrihed to Ibllorv the castern bark o|Kazinga Rivcr according to thc r-cgar Notico No.

292 ol 1962 that describcs thc boundary of Kigezi (];r.te ltcscrvc as it u,as thqn callcd, Or.
'cr Lhc lears duc to clintate changc antl pcrsistcnt tlrought c,uplcd rvith unconlrolled d'aini'g o1'thc rve(rand, Itivcr Kazinga dricd and this laciliratcd 1 encroachment by way ()1 cultlvallon and tr(]c planttng rry the local communtltcs neighbouring the park in this arca.,l)cspitc this cncroachrncnt, the area rernirins a wetland and lloods during thc rain,v- scason.

So therc arc lto sclllcrncnts in thc contsstcd iuca.
In 2016, I.Jganda Wildlilb Authority in an eIlbrt ro contain cncrtiachnrent on rhe parkrengaged the Govemmcnt Sun,eyors to tracc thc boundarv ol'thc park so that it can bc markcd rvith pcrmanent pillars now that thc rivsr rvhich previously described the houndarv had dricd up.
'l'he comrnunitics did not like thc idea of' using the Bovernmcnt sun'cyors and through mcdiation ol thc llesidcnt I)isrrict Comrnissioner (RDC) KanungLr, it u,as agrccd to uss lhc Kanungu l)istrict Survcyor to surve)' and re-opcn thc bor.rndary be($,ccn lhc park and communities in Kalncmc arca.

'l'his also tbllou,od a serics ol' scnsitizatron meetinBs led b,"- thc I{DC Kanungu and involving UWA, local lcadcrs and communities prior 1o tho boundary survey and dcmarcation.
'I'he boundary survcy wasi uvcntually donc by thc I)istricr Sun,eyor in Ma,v 2018 rvith participation ol all i-,C I Chairpcrsons ot thc ncighbouring villages.

thc LC 3 Chairpcrson and thc local communitir-.s.

During the survey, it was cstablished that therc lvas indeed encroachmcnt on thc national park in fbrm of cultivation and eucalvptus trccs planted in thc lvcrlancl.
At the time, the aff'ectcd communilies rcquestcd (JWA throu{rh rhe I{l)C Kanungu to be allowcd to harvest thcir crops and werc grantcd up to cnd of' I)r:cemher 20,l8 to do so and thereafler.

LIWA rvould procecd to plunt houndarl, pillars on the sun,c1,cd boundarv.

I{owever, in Januarl' 2019, alicr rcalizing thar a neu, ltl)C had bcen posted ttr Kanungu, many encroachcrs wcnt back and openod lircsh gardens irrside the park.
'l he nerv RDC rvho had becn brief'ed about thc matter addrcssed rhe communities and dircclcd that thc planting ol'bounclary pillars on tho survcycd boundary should bc undsrlakcn.

lle indecd launchod the e.xercise of planting concrete pillars on l9'h January 2019 in the prescncc ol all l.C I Chairpcrsons in thc ncighbouring villages.

LC 3 Chairpcrson and I-CtV Vice Chairperson rvho is also the Arca llistrict Counsellor.
'l'he encroachcrs howe\.er, remaincd adamant and continucd cultivating insidc the park even aflcr boundary pillars rvcrc plautctl.

It is thcsc cncroachc:rs that llWA has been trying 10 stop liom cu)tivating illegally insidc thc protcctcd arca.

On Thursdav 28'r' I;ebruarl- 2019. sevcn (7) pcoplc rvcrc arrestecl u,hilc illegally cultivaling inside the protccted arca and thcsc rvcrc takcn to Policc in Kanungu.

'l'hese havc bccn chargctl and rclcased on l)olicc bond.
Othcr than thcso sevcn 2 \,\,ho stubDornly contrlrucd culttvalmg lnsl(c thLr protccted orca.

no onc olsc nas bcen arrustcd or evicted as thcrc arc no setllements irr thc arca.

I]esidcs.

the contostcd area is a lvetland.
L.IWA is continuing to cngage the District l-ocal Govcmmcnt ol' Kanuugu and scnsitizing the communitics to rcspecl the gazettod national park boundarics hur there is immense prcssurc and incitenrent ol'sonic contmunitics to disrcspcct thc boundaries, We are planning a visit to thc arca togcthcr with [-ocal Leadcrship and Area MPs so that we can cxp)ain to the oommuniries and political leadcrship that the protected area is important and thc boundarics must hc rcspcctcd, I appcal to I Ion colleagucs hcrc in l)arliamcnt cspccially Arca MPs to tssist thc Ministry and govcmment in scnsitizing thc conrmunitics lo pruscr\.c and protcct our \!ildlile protected areas bccausc lhey are our nationtrl hcritagc.
['rof.

I:phraim Kamuntu (MI,) MINTSTER OF TOUlltSM, WTLDLII-I] AND ANTTQUITTES 3